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Simone Inzaghi signs to coach Saudi club Al-Hilal after leaving Inter Milan

Simone Inzaghi signs to coach Saudi club Al-Hilal after leaving Inter Milan

The Hindua day ago

Simone Inzaghi took over as head coach of Al-Hilal on Wednesday (June 4, 2025), a day after leaving Inter Milan and two weeks before the Saudi Arabian club's first game at the Club World Cup.
Inzaghi signed a two-year deal after Al-Hilal lured him with an offer of reportedly more than 20 million euros ($23 million) per season.
'The Italian genius is here,' the Saudi club said in a social media post.
Inter was routed 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final last Saturday, marking the most lopsided defeat in the 70-year history of major European finals.
The 49-year-old Inzaghi coached Inter to the Serie A title last year and was also in charge when the Nerazzurri lost the 2023 Champions League title to Manchester City.
He was at Inter for four years.
Al-Hilal opens its Club World Cup campaign against Real Madrid on June 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

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Dhikr, dhawq and knowing the flavour of spiritual ecstasy
Dhikr, dhawq and knowing the flavour of spiritual ecstasy

Time of India

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  • Time of India

Dhikr, dhawq and knowing the flavour of spiritual ecstasy

When a man traverses the journey seeking closeness to God, the path transforms the man. The seeker does not remain the same man who started out on the journey. As he nears his destination, his search renews him from within. Thus it is that through the centuries, Sufi masters have embodied the most beautiful and the most cherished qualities admired by mankind. Sufi saints are known as individuals of deep humility, revered by one and all for their unconditional love, for their selflessness and detachment from materialism, and for their profound peacefulness and compassion that envelops all those who seek their blessings. What is the alchemy that brings about this miraculous and joyful transformation? The reason is their love of God the Almighty, their constant endeavour to seek the closeness of God and their complete surrender to God's will. Those who are committed to the glorious search for God are blessed to become vessels of his divine grace and guidance and personify the high attributes of al-Insan al-Kamil (the Perfect Man). Egyptian Sufi master Ibn ʿAṭā Allāh al-Iskandarī (1259-1310), the third murshid (spiritual guide or master) of the Shadhili Sufi silsila, wrote in his Kitab al-Hikam (The Book of Wisdom), 'When divine spiritual experiences come over you, they destroy your habits. Indeed, when kings enter cities, they ruin them. [Qur'an 27:34].' The old habits of the material world die through dedicated adherence to spiritual discipline which involves dhikr (remembrance of God), meditation, contemplation on divine grace, and cultivating the path shown by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Through complete devotion towards the divine path, man can learn to conquer vices like ego, greed, pride, envy and lust. When this journey of personal transformation is complete, the seeker is blessed with fana (complete annihilation of the self) and baqa (subsistence in God). Persian Sufi saint Hazrat Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058–1111), revered with the title Hujjat al-Islam (Proof of Islam) for his immense contribution to the development of Islamic philosophy, theology, and the understanding of Sufi mysticism, said this of Sufis: 'I learnt with certainty that it is above all the mystics [Sufis] who walk on the road of God; their life is the best life, their method the soundest method, their character the purest character. It became clear to me, however, that what is most distinctive of mysticism is something which cannot be apprehended by study, but only by immediate experience (dhawq – knowing the taste or flavour), by ecstasy and by a moral change.' 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He said, 'To be a Sufi is to give up all worries and there is no worse worry than yourself. When you are occupied with self, you are separated from God. The way to God is but one step: the step out of yourself.' Hazrat Abul Khayr was so immersed in love of the Almighty that when someone asked him what is Sufism, he explained it by way of complete annihilation of the self and existing totally by the grace of divine will. He said about Sufism, 'Whatever you have in your mind— forget it. Whatever you have in your hand—give it. Whatever is to be your fate—face it!' Hazrat Sahl al-Tustari (818-896) was an early classical Sufi mystic who founded the Salimiyah Muslim theological school. It is said that he instructed a disciple to repeat the name of Allah continuously for days until it became a habit, even during sleep. It is said that the impact of the constant repetition of God's name immersed the discipline in divine remembrance at all times. 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Lamine Yamal's sly dig at Dembele after Spain win: Best to talk on the pitch
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Lamine Yamal's sly dig at Dembele after Spain win: Best to talk on the pitch

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India and Italy to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, food processing: Commerce Ministry
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